News Analysis India

Tag: coronovirus

  • Russia’s Putin Addresses BRICS Summit; Touts Nations’ Contact On Energy Research Platform

    While speaking at the BRICS virtual summit on Tuesday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that all the BRICS nations have maintained ‘intensive contacts’ for the development of an Energy Research Cooperation Platform. Putin said, ‘Intensive contacts have been underway between our academic and scientific centres. Their coverage is truly impressive – from the ocean and polar research to astronomy and artificial intelligence. Experts from the five countries carry out joint energy research. Reports have been prepared on the projected development of the fuel and energy sectors in the BRICS countries until 2040.’

    Speaking further about the COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian President told BRICS leaders that coronavirus vaccines developed in Russia ‘work effectively and safely’ and urged the group of emerging economy nations to ‘join forces’ for the mass production of the shots. Putin’s remarks on the vaccine come after early results of large studies of several experimental Coronavirus vaccines, including a Russian one, were announced. The BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

    BRICS on Tuesday adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy to effectively deal with the menace, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that there is a need to ensure that countries supporting terrorists are held guilty, a call backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who dubbed such nations ‘black sheep of the family’.

  • Biden’s Adviser Warns Stalled Transition Could Harm Ability To Confront Pandemic Next Year

    Amid the chaotic US election, President-elect Joe Biden’s top COVID-19 advisers have warned that Republican incumbent Donald Trump’s stalling of the transition could hinder the nation’s pandemic response. The Trump administration is preventing Biden from accessing the stack of messages sitting at the State Department. Trump has also mounted a fierce battle to remain in office and he has also been attempting to amplify his stance on voter fraud even while his inner circle is left divided over his refusal to concede and accept the results of the presidential elections. 

    In the midst of Trump’s baseless claims, Biden’s transition to the White House is in limbo and is complicating his efforts to tackle the unprecedented pandemic that has already killed nearly 250,000 people in the United States. According to Australian Associated Press, former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy, who co-chairs Biden’s coronavirus task force, said that blocking the President-elect’s transition advisers from meeting with the government experts could harm their ability to confront the pandemic next year. Additionally, several doctors and nurses association have also published a letter urging the outgoing President’s administration to share critical COVID data, such as equipment inventories, medical supplies and hospital bed capacity, with Biden’s team.

    Biden, who is set to take office on January 20, has not yet been able to receive the classified intelligence briefings. Instead, he met with his own panel of national security experts such as former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former deputy national security adviser Avril Haines and former US Ambassador to the UN Samatha Power. Since his projected win, the 46th President-elect has been addressing the nation, setting up the coronavirus task force, speaking with world leaders including Trump allies and has also begun vetting potential cabinet members and delivering policy speeches.

  • Missouri Needs To Do Better In Virus Fight

    Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday announced new guidance aimed at keeping more kids, teachers and staff in school, even those who have been exposed to the coronavirus, citing concerns that quarantines interrupt learning and create staff shortages.

    Currently, anyone in a K-12 setting who is directly exposed to the coronavirus must quarantine for 14 days. The new guidance does not require quarantining if both the infected person and the person exposed wore masks.

    The change comes as the virus continues to surge, with Missouri reporting 4,603 confirmed new cases Thursday, 16 more deaths and a record 2,248 people in hospitals. The state has cited 225,371 confirmed cases and 3,339 deaths since the pandemic began. The current positivity rate of 22.4% is more than four times the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization.

    Missouri has no statewide mask mandate, and the state does not require masks in schools although some districts do.

    Parson, a Republican, reiterated Thursday that he opposes a statewide mask requirement. But he said state officials believe the guidance change “will lead to more schools encouraging proper mask usage, helping to further protect students and educators from the spread of the virus.”

    The new guidance still requires the person who tests positive to isolate at home. Meanwhile, those who have close contact with an infected person at a school without a mask mandate should continue to require 14 days of home quarantine.

    Parson acknowledged that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have risen in recent weeks “more than we ever thought they would. That is the hard fact of where this virus is going.”

    Parson allowed the state to reopen in mid-June. He often urges personal responsibility but has declined to issue statewide restrictions. He cited his overwhelming election victory on Nov. 3 as evidence that residents agreed with his approach.

    “But I’m here to tell you this to all my Missourians: It is time we’ve got to step up,” Parson said. “We’ve got to do our part to protect one another. No government’s going to do that for you. You have to take that upon yourself.

  • Sputnik V 92% effective against coronavirus, claims Russia

    Russia on Wednesday said that its vaccine Sputnik V is 92 per cent effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to the first interim analysis.

    “The Sputnik V vaccine efficacy amounted to 92 per cent (calculation based on the 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo),” the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement read. Currently, Sputnik V phase III clinical trials are approved and are undergoing in Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries. In India, phase II-III trails of the vaccine are underway.

    Currently, 40,000 volunteers are taking part in double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled Phase III of Sputnik V clinical trials, out of which over 20,000 have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and more than 16,000 with both the first and second doses of the vaccine.

    Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said: “The use of the vaccine and the results of clinical trials demonstrate that it is an efficient solution to stop the spread of coronavirus infection, a preventive healthcare tool, and this is the most successful path to defeat the pandemic.”

    The efficacy was demonstrated on the basis of a first interim analysis obtained 21 days after the first injection. There were no unexpected adverse events during the trials and monitoring of the participants is ongoing.

    The announcement by Russia comes days after drug giant American Pfizer announced that its coronavirus vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective at protecting people from infection as compared to placebo saline shot, as per an analysis.

    Russia became the first country to register the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine on August 11. Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry.

    The company said that the Gamaleya Centre team will publish the interim research data in one of the leading international peer-reviewed medical journals.

  • Just a few months left in the end of 2020, the health minister has now given this information about the vaccine

    Talking about the cases of corona across the country, on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave information that, at this time in India, coronovirusThe total number of positive cases is 71 lakh 75 thousand 881, of which 8 lakh 38 thousand 729 are active cases. At the same time, 62 lakh 27 thousand 296 people have been cured from this disease. The death toll from this epidemic is now 1 lakh 09 thousand 856. Let us know that it is expected that the corona vaccine will soon be available to people to get treatment to avoid this epidemic. In India alone, three vaccines of Corona are in operation. In such a situation, on Tuesday, giving the information to the Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, he told that till when will people get the vaccine of Corona. Along with this, the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan also said that if the corona vaccine is available in the country, then the country will have the capacity to provide vaccines to 20-25 million people. On Tuesday, the Union Health Minister said that, “We all hope that as soon as the new year starts, we will have the possibility of getting the vaccine anytime.” It is expected that by July, we will be able to provide vaccines to 200-25 million people in the country by providing 400-500 million dose vaccines.